Folks, wanna know what’s up on the Mississippi River front project? There’s a public meeting and onsite tour scheduled for the new North Minneapolis Riverfront Trail Connection Project. You can check out concept plans for the new trail that will connect Ole Olson Park and the 26th Avenue North Overlook plans during an online meeting on Monday, May 9, 6-7:30 p.m., or you can do a site tour with project staff on Saturday, May 14, 3-4 p.m.
This long-anticipated, 1,000-foot trail connection will extend a popular riverfront regional trail past the terminus of West River Road and create new riverside experiences in North Minneapolis. It also will connect the 26th Avenue North Overlook, which opened last May, to the downtown riverfront and the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway, the 51-mile continuous bike/walk trail that encircles most of Minneapolis.
The concepts explore how the new trail might connect into existing trails on its north and south ends, activities that could support the neighborhood and others traveling to experience the river, and ideas that support habitat restoration.
New river access created by the trail project might be used for picnicking, fishing, launching a canoe or kayak, or just taking in the river and skyline views. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is asking for community feedback to help develop a preferred option. There are several ways to get involved over the next several months.
The May 9 event is an online meeting with a presentation and time for questions and feedback. The presentation will be recorded and posted online after the meeting. Join North Minneapolis Trail Connection Meeting at minneapolisparks.org.
The site tour will be held on Saturday, May 14, 3-4 p.m. Participants will meet at Ole Olson Park (2325 West River Road N.) and walk down to the Mississippi River while design team members explain the concepts. This will be a great opportunity to ask the design team questions.
An online public comment form is available to collect general feedback on the project. Share the comment form with anyone who may be interested at www.surveymonkey.com/r/26-olson-trail.
Visit the project page and enter your email into the “Subscribe to Email Updates” box at the top of the page to receive regular updates on the project. There’s also additional background info and documents posted on the project page. Share the project page with anyone who may be interested: minneapolisparks.org/26-olson-trail.